Education

Since 1995 Oliver West has been working within all tiers of education; as well as being a university lecturer, he has broad experience of working with early years, primary, middle and high school students throughout the U.K. and Europe. He has developed a portfolio of workshops and projects which range in depth and duration; they are designed to fit around an existing curriculum, and can be adapted to meet the needs of a specific school department.

Oliver West facilitating a mono-printing workshop in a class of primary school children. The film shows some of the processes of mono-printing. This type of mono-printing is a fun and fast-moving activity suitable for all ages including really young children. It can take as little as a few minutes through to a number of hours to produce mono-prints. You can make it as simple or as complicated as you like!

Whether you are looking for an Artist in Residence or a facilitator for a short-term art activity, Oliver West offers his broad teaching experience and friendly approach to ensure the success of your project. Residencies vary in length from one day to two weeks, with activities ranging from one hour printmaking workshops for younger pupils to two day master-class intaglio printmaking workshops for Years 10-18 and Adults.

Oliver often combines Arts projects with ‘Footnotes’, his Visual Thinking workshops; this can help to finance the Residence across English and Learning Support Departments.

For more information about Oliver’s work in this field – please visit Oliver West Footnotes– Visual Thinking Specialist.

Whether you are looking for an Artist in Residence or a facilitator for a short-term art activity, Oliver West offers his broad teaching experience and friendly approach to ensure the success of your project. Residencies vary in length from one day to two weeks, with activities ranging from one hour printmaking workshops for younger pupils to two day master-class intaglio printmaking workshops for Years 10-18 and Adults.

Below is more information on the workshops and details of how to apply for one of Oliver West’s Residency Projects:

Staff Development workshops

Working closely with teachers, using projects to develop their personal arts skills, as well as to develop strategies for encouraging their students’ creativity.

Intaglio and relief printmaking workshops

Through the use of a mobile studio van equipped with printing press/equipment can be made available. The value of this activity is that students can see the process from etching on the plate, to the pulling of a proof. This can be repeated and further work can be added to the plate, making adjustments and assessing the work as they go. The students are often excited to see the stage by stage development of their print image.

Film making workshops

Using DV video and ‘Imovie’ editing equipment/software – this encourages teamwork and utilises all the varied skills available in one class; it involves the students in costume and set design, script writing, make-up, narrating, acting, illustrating, animating, editing – everyone gets involved!

Community arts project

A wider ranging project that could include the students’ friends and family from their native countries. In a previous project, students made a life-size elephant sculpture in a joint effort with students of the same age from Bombay in India. Using the internet, the students were able to connect, swap stories and learn about each other’s cultures and experiences; all the pictures, letters and stories that they collated were used as inspiration to create a printed fabric for the skin of the elephant. This sort of project works incredibly well in a multi-cultural class, fostering a better understanding and appreciation of diversity.

Sketchbook workshop

This involves ten different ways of drawing a view/object, encouraging each student to develop their own style of drawing. This is important in building up their sense of individuality and confidence, getting away from the idea that drawing has to be ordered and disciplined and reinforcing the idea that it is okay for a student to make their own marks.

Mural project

Based on a theme relevant to an event or project currently running. It gives the opportunity for large amounts of students to collaborate on a joint venture, sharing the process of adjusting and developing an image through time. This encourages students to communicate well with each other whilst working within creative guidelines. It teaches the students the skills needed to research, plan and prepare a given subject. This often spans many subjects within the school curriculum.

Career development portfolio workshops

Business/marketing workshops and/or arts portfolio tutorials (preparing for interview/looking at career options & arts skills). Specific guidance for students who are preparing (or considering preparing) for any arts-based further education or business.

Oliver West Footnotes” Visual Thinking Workshops

For many years linear lexical modes of teaching and learning have dominated our classrooms, and learners who think and learn in a non-linear way have been marginalised and misunderstood. But there is an increasing realisation that an understanding of non-linear thinkers is an essential part of the development of inclusive educational practice; indeed the need to discover the specific learning style of every individual in a classroom is of the utmost importance.

This popular studio on wheels experience is encountered by many school groups throughout the seasons.

Oliver provides the opportunity for groups of up to 36 students to experience creativity in the wild in all weathers.

It’s commonly used as a mobile printing studio with two presses available for use in both relief and intaglio processes.

It has other uses ranging from mobile classroom with added awnings etc, through to making an effective mobile stage for open air performance. Where useful the Studio has a generator, lighting and even basic filming and editing equipment. The additional studio van provides extra overflow space with additional awning facilities.

Oliver welcomes school and university groups from many parts for one day to full week residencies in Cornwall by the sea, He is also able to help with accommodation in various forms, ranging from camping to rentable rooms. In some cases the mobile studio experience can be brought to where you are!